Sprawling fantasy story, the fourth in the Harry Potter series (and showing more sophistication than its predecessors), centers around a European wizarding tournament between three magical schools, carried on while Harry's mortal enemy lurks behind the scenes.
I have enjoyed how Rowling's stories have grown in breadth and depth (along with, presumably, the young readers who grew up with them) and found this one the most engaging yet. Perhaps incidentally (to American readers, at least) I have also been interested in the glimpses of the casual cruelties and ramshackle trappings of British boarding school life (made more explicit in other British author's fiction, like Stephen Fry's The Liar).
I would say that Goblet of Fire is the first of the novels to really not be able to stand on its own, with a very open-ending conclusion; but tracking the growth of the characters has been surprisingly rewarding to me, the last person on Earth to read the Harry Potter series.
Interestingly, I happened to catch the movie version while snowbound in a hotel during the time I was listening to this. It was the first time I had revisited the movies since listening to the audio books, and until then didn't realize how much (including entire subplots and characters) were excised from the movie versions. Probably goes without saying, but surprising to see side-by-side for the first time.
I listened to the very good Jim Dale audiobook version, on loan from Morrison-Reeves Library, half of which I ingested in one long drive back and forth from Pennsylvania.
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